Smithville, Indiana

Base township is one of the best in the county for agricultural purposes. It has an abundance of low land, as it lies principally in the forks of Clear Creek and Salt Creek, the two principal streams of the southern half of the county. Between the forks the land is gently undulating as a general rule, and the surface soil contains an abundance of food for almost all farm productions. Along the two streams are rather precipitous bluffs, which, back some distance, gradually blend with the general undulating surface of the country. Immediately adjoining the streams are narrow valleys very rich and productive. The geological formation is revealed in many places - at quarries and along the New Albany Railroad principally. In places where the storms have washed away the surface soil, hundreds of geodes, comprising crystalline and butryoidal, are found. The railroad track at Harrodsburg. is 509- feet above the level of the sea, and at Smithville is 710 feet. This shows a railroad grade of 201 feet betweeri those two places. distant about four miles and a half. The altitude at Bloomington is 745, and northwest of Bloomington at the highest point of the grade is 883 feet. The track at Ellettsville is 685 feet above the sea. In the vicinity of Smithville, covering about a section of land, the Keokuk limestone makes its appearance at the surface. A little distance west, extending a little east of north, is the general overlying edge of the Keokuk group, lapping upon the knobstone. A short distance further west is the St. Louis limestone. On Section 2, about a mile northeast of Smithville, the geological formation is as follows:

Passage source: 1884 History of Monroe County Indiana, published 1884.

Smithville was started when the New Albany Railroad was established, in 1852-53. It was laid out in November, 1851, by Mansfield Bennett and George Smith, owners, on Section 8. Thirty-eight lots were laid out on both sides of the railroad. Mr. Smith probably opened the first store. He was soon joined by a blacksmith and a few families. Davis & Humphries were also there about the same time, with a good store. The business was lively: while work on the railroad continued. It is probable that the stores were started before the town was laid out, to accommodate the wants of the workmen. P. & J. Holland were also early at the village with a stock of goods. One or two stores have been in the village, usually one at a time, ever since. About fifteen families comprise the population.

Passage source: 1884 History of Monroe County Indiana, published 1884.

It is said that the first school in the township was taught near the old Woodward homestead about 1822. This was a short distance south of the present Smithville. The school was held in a vacated log cabin that had been occupied for a short time by some family. Another early school was taught near Fairfax; and still another in the Rogers neighborhood. The Chambers were the founders of a school about 1830. In 1836, there were three schoolhouses in the township, and one or two old residences which were used for that purpose. In about 1840, the old log schoolhouse at Harrodsburg was erected, which was used for school and church purposes until about 1851. School was taught at Fairfax as early as 1838. In 1846, the township consisted of four school districts, two schools being held in District No. 2. During the winter of 1846-47, school was not taught in Nos. 1 or 3. The enrollment in District 2 was 53 and in District 4 was 25. The length of each term was three months. Twenty-two children attended in No. 4, and 34 in No. 2. All these houses were of logs. In 1856, there were schoolhouses at Harrodsburg, Smnithville, Fairfax, and on Sections 8, 11 and 29. The only frame house was at Harrodsburg. The old log schoolhouse at this village had been burned down about 1851, at which time a small one-story frame was erected to take its place. arly teachers in this frame house were Jonas May, Maj. Grimes, Luther De Motte, William Brown, Elzy Woodward et al. Dr. James Beatley taught in the old log house as early as 1844. He was a better teacher than physician. The small frame house was used until war time, when the present two-storied frame building was erected at a cost of about $1,000; three teachers are now employed in the Harrodsburg schools. William Neill is the present Principal. The township schools were greatly improved during the fifties and more so during the sixties and the seventies. The following is for the schools of 1880-81:

Passage source: 1884 History of Monroe County Indiana, published 1884.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Clear Creek Township - it names this place 9 more 9 times.